Loose-leaf binder



May 22, 1951 F. s. SCHADE LOOSE-LEAF BINDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12, 1946 O EYS y 1951 F. s. SCHADE 2,553,872

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed April 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N V E N TO R fiM/m' Jm/nzyJc/mu ATTOR EYS Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES TENT- OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of loose leaf binders known in the trade as break-back binders in which two interlocking angle members known as back plates are used, the upright portions of these plates carrying post's, overlying the plates, onwhich a filler pack of loose leaf sheets or catalogue material is threaded. The insertion or removal of the sheets is accomplished by withdrawing the back plates from interlocked relationship and breaking the back to set the plates in angular position to one another permit-- ting ready access to the free ends of the posts. Prior art structures of this type are shown in Patent; NOS. 1,954,494 of April 10, 1934, 1,990,136 of. February 1-935, and 2,209,284 of July 23, 1940, all granted to J ohnschade Since the construction and operation of the parts of the specific disclosure herein is to a certain extent and in some respects similar to those fully described inthose patents, I will show them here in a general way and confine the particulars and detail description to the features of the present invention.

The features of the present invention are directed to improving the mechanism for the construction and operation of the binder parts. The: structure is characterized by simplicity and ease of operation. It is neat and compact and capable of withstanding hard usage. There are very few movable parts thus reducing the possibility of mechanical. failure in operation and a longer binder life.

These and other advantages will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a top view of the binder mechanism with the covers cut away to conserve space;

Fig. 2 is a view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view on line 3-3 of Fig. I with the back plates-fully overlapped;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary detail views of the locking mechanism with part cut away to show the operation of the locking slide;

Fig. '7 is an endview of the binder opened to its maximum for insertion or removal of filler material; and

Fig. 8 is a top view, of another form of the binder with a clutch mechanism substituted for the; locking slide.

In the drawings the binder back comprises two flat rectangular back plates l and 2 in overlapping relation. These members have upright portions: as flanges 3. and. 4' along their outer long edges to which binding prongs or posts 5 are fastenedv in any suitable manner to overlie the back plates; Covers 6 and l are fastened to the flanges as by rivets 8. Along its narrow edges or ends, plate I has a pair of facing rebent sections 9 to form guideways to receive the narrow edges of plate 2 and interlock the plates, plate 2 and plate I overlapping. The guideways 9' are slightly flared as at If] for the edges of plate 2 to be easily received at the entrance to the guideways.

On plate I adjacent each end of that member are welded two spaced fiat bearing strips H extending beyond the long edge of the plate and formed with rebent portions as hooks l2. The

strips it serve as bearing surfaces for the transverse movement of plate 2 on plate I. The hooks 2 are received in complementary transverse slots l3 cut in plate 2. The reversely directed portions of the hookoverlie plate 2, Figs. 4 and 5, and being of greater width than the slots tend to hold the plates in parallel relation by the shoulders of the overlying hook portions, Fig. 2.

Slots l3 are closed at each end, at the inner end by-the flange 4 where the hook I2 contacts the. flange in fully closed position, Fig. 3, and at the outer end of the slot by a pivot strip is integral with plate 2. In Fig. 3 it will be noted flange A is provided with an ofiset portion at the bottom part to snugly receive the bend of the hook in fully closed position. Flange 3 also is offset in a similar way for the sake of a uniform neat appearance in the assembly. The pivot strip E5 is formed by the metal of plate 2 and a recess It cut in the edge of the plate adjacent that end of slot l3, Fig. l. The recess is of slightly larger width than the end of the hook and is for receiving the hook, and allowing plates 2 and l to pivot at an angle as in the position of Fig. 7.

It will be seen that the plates may be guided from a completely closed position as shown in Fig. 3 to a completely open position as shown in Fig. 7 by the action of the hooks in the slots. When the plates are overlapped, the guideways 9 and shoulders of the reversely bent portions of the hooks cooperate to interlock the plates in parallel relation. As the plates l and 2 are pulled apart, the narrow edges of plate 2 are freed of the guideways and are held for a slight distance only by the shoulders of the hooks which will no longer retain the overlap as the hooks are received in recesses It but will pivot the plates to the angular position of Fig. 7.

Mechanism for releasably retaining the plates in overlapped relation in one form of binder, is shown in Figs. 1 through '7 and in another form of binder in Fig. 8.

In the first form the type known as the Floating Back binder is shown. This type binder is generally used with catalogues or similar filler pack material. It is used where reading of the print at the inner bound margins may be obstructed if the material is tightly compressed in the binder. Where, as with a floating back, the back of the binder can be freely spread apart to a certain extent, the printing can readily be observed and retained on the posts and yet the binder itself has a neat compact appearance for protective and storage purposes.

In Figs. 1 through 7 a slotted locking bar I! is attached to plate 2 by buttons l8 through slots ii). A finger piece of metal at one end of the bar is for shifting the lide manually on plate 2 as will be described. Arched portions 21 in the slide overlie slots [3 to allow the hooks 52 to pass underneath and engage pivot strips 55. A

triangular piece of metal is cut from the arched portion to lie in the plane of the bar I! and form a stop 22, Fig. 4. On the opposite side of the arch 2| a cam 23 is attached to the bar. The

cam has a projecting nose 24 to lock the parts as will be apparent from the drawings of Figs. 4, 5, and 6 which will now be described.

The usual position of the bar I! when the binder is locked, with plates 1 and 2 interlocking, is shown in Fig. 5 with the stop 22 adapted to engage hook l2 maintaining the overlap of plate 2 on plate I. The bar may, however, be inadvertently shifted in handlin and it will be seen from Fig. 4 that the shoulder of hook i2 will engage the cam nose 24 when bar I! has been shifted to the position in Fig. 4 with the stop 22 drawn out of the path of hook I2. The nose 24 will automatically shift the bar I? upwardly, Fig. 4, by hittin the cam nose 24. The stop 22 will then block hook i2 and hold the plates interlocked and overlapped as shown in Fig. 5. Further outward movement of the plates relative to each other is accomplished by drawing the bar I! outwardly by actuating finger piece 25. The stop 22 is thus withdrawn from the path of hook l2 and the plates are moved from the position of Fig. 5 to that of Fig. 6. In the latter position the hook is resting on the pivot strip IS. The free ends of the hooks will be received in recesses IS. The plates may then be broken and angularly positioned as in Fig. 7 for the insertion and removal of filler pack material.

In the reverse operation of closing the binder it will be apparent from the position of the parts in these figures that should the slide H be in its upper position when initially pushing the plates inwardly of each other, the diagonal rear surface of stop 22 will engage the hook l2 and shift the bar downwardly as the back of the hook passes by the stop. Further interlocking the plates causes the nose 24 to engage the back of hook l2 to automatically shift the bar back to its locked position with stop 22 in the path of the hook.

The above described sequence of operations thus assures the locking of the bar automatically whenever the plates are spread apart or pushed closed. The only time the bar need be manually shifted in ordinary usage is when the plates are spread for pivoting and insertion and removal of filler material. At other times the shifting of plates relative to one another acts through the bar with its cam and stop and the hook to automatically retain the interlock of the plates.

The structure of the hook and pivoting mechanism is adaptable for use in binder assemblies of other types. In Fig. 8 I have shown a binder with a compressible binder back. The mechanism for holding the compression of back plates in this type of binder is a clutch structure designated generally by numeral 30. The full operation of the structure is disclosed in Patent No. 2,320,102 of May 25, 1943 granted to John Schade.

In this form of the binder the filler pack may be compressed on its inner bound portions where a loose leaf structure of this type is desirable. The back plates can be angularly set as in Fig. 7 by releasing the clutch mechanism and withdrawing the back plates.

Both forms of the binder constructed substantially as detailed makes a convenient inexpensive structure for ready assembly and disassembly of filler pack material.

Both forms of binders, the floating back and the compressible back type may be provided with their pivoting means by the slot and hook portions provided on their plates. The cutting of the slots in one plate and the addition of the cooperating hooks mounted on the other plate substantially as described accomplish more than merely providing a hinge structure. In addition they provide the means for guiding the two back plates in all their sliding movements, to hold them properly together for such movements. The arrangement is new and useful for both hinging and sliding while retaining all the old advantages in these types of binders.

What I claim is:

1. In a post binder of the type having interlocking angular back plates with upright flanges carrying posts overlying the plates, the combination of a releasable means to retain said plates in an interlocked position and permit their angular pivoting with respect to one another for insertion and removal of filler pack material, such means consisting of a hook attached to and projecting outwardly beyond the long edge of the lower back plate, a guiding slot closed at the outer end adjacent the edge of and cut transversely in the upper back plate to receive said hook, the hook being provided with a narrow portion at said outward projection thereof and extending upwardly through said slot and a wide rebent portion, the free end thereof overlying the margin of said long edge of the lower back plate, the inn r shoulders of the rebent portion tending to maintain the plates in parallel relation, the long edge of said upper plate adjacent the outer closed end being recessed to receive the free end of said hook and permit its pivoting on the portion of the upper plate between the recess and said closed slot.

2. In a post binder having a pair of interlocking back plates with upright portions carrying posts, the combination of an underlying back plate having hooks projecting from its long edge and outwardly thereof beyond said edge, an upper back plate having portions cut away to form transverse guiding slots in said plate and pivoting means adjacent the outer end of said slots, said hooks beyond said long edge of the lower plate having a narrow portion projecting upwardly through said slots and a wider rebent portion overlying said upper plate, said hooks when positioned at the outer end of the slot receiving said pivoting means for the angular swing of one back plate with relation to the other to permit insertion and removal of filler material,

3. The combination as recited in claim 2 in which the releasable means is characterized by one of said plates carrying a transverse prong, the other plate carrying a releasable gripping mechanism to receive said prong and hold'it at any position of relative adjustment, and means to release said prong for slidable relation of said plates outwardly of one another to said pivoting position.

4. In a loose leaf binder having a pair of slidable overlapping back plates with upright portions carrying posts, the combination of a pivoting means for said plates for their angular placement relative to each other consisting of spaced hooks projecting from the long edge of the underlying plate, closed slots cut transversely in the upper plate to register with said hooks, the reversely bent portions forming said hooks being of greater width at their outer portions than said slots and overlying said upper plate, the narrower portions of the hooks being received and guided in said slots, a slotted locking bar mounted on said upper plate having a stop member positioned adjacent the slot in said upper plate, said stop member contacting the hook when the bar is in one position to prevent further outward movement of the hook and the plates relative to each other, means to shift said bar to a second position and carry said stop out of the path of said hook, a cam mounted on the bar on the opposite side of said slot and onset from said stop to contact said hook and automatically shift said bar from the second position to said first position as the plates are shifted inwardly or outwardly relative to each other, said stop member having a diagonal rear surface to cam said slide to said second postiion when the plates are initially slid into overlapping relation, the metal of said upper plate adjacent the outer edges of said transverse slots forming a pivot for the angular swinging of said upper plate relative to the lower plate, all for the purpose described.

5. In loose leaf binding structure the combination of a pair of back plates with facing upright flanges carrying binding posts overlying said plates, said plates when assembled in closed position being in overlapping relation and adapted for the slidable movement of one plate transversely on the other, rebent sections on the end edges of the underlying plate to receive the end margins of the upper plate, said underlying plate on its long edge having hooks formed with outer wide and inner narrow portions, said upper plate having transverse closed end guiding slots to receive the narrow hook portions and guide the hooks and lower plate, the wide portions of the hooks overlying the upper plate with shoulders maintaining said plates in parallel position when overlapping, recesses provided in the edge of the upper plate adjacent the ends of the guiding slots to receive the wide bent portions of said hooks when said plates are drawn apart for opening, whereby the hooks are pivoted on the metal between the recesses and outer ends of said guiding slots so that the plates may be angularly positioned by pivoting to permit access to said posts for insertion and removal of a filler pack of loose leaf material, a locking bar mounted on the upper plate for lengthwise movement, said bar,

being provided with a stop shoulder on one side and a cam shoulder on the other side of each guiding slot, said bar when moved one way for a locked position, placing its stop shoulders in the path of said wide hook portions to limit the separating movement of said plates, said bar when moved in the opposite way for an unlocked position shifting said stop shoulders to permit separating movement of said plates to their opening condition, from which condition upon the closing movement of the binder said hooks will engage said cam shoulders and shift said bar to reposition it to locked position as before, cam means on the rear of said stop shoulders adapted to also move said bar to its unlocked position in the event of the bar being inadvertently shifted to locking position after the hooks are past the stop shoulders, such cam movement being caused by the closing movement of said plates, said cam shoulders being put in position to engage the hooks and thereby move the bar to put said stop shoulders back in locked position as the plates are being overlapped in the closing operation, said cam shoulders, when said plates are thus overlapped, being adapted, in the event of the bar being inadvertently shifted to unlocked position, to engage the hooks and move said bar to its locked position, as the plates are moved for separation, whereby the locked relationship is maintained except when the bar is manually shifted to remove said stop shoulders as described.

6. A post binder construction of the type having slidable back plates with outer flanged edges carrying posts, the plates being adapted to slide between binder locked and unlocked positions and for pivoting movement in the unlocked position, in combination with means cooperating with the plates in their. sliding and hinging movements, said means comprising two spaced cross slots in the upper back plate, the end of each slot being closed adjacent the free edge of the plate, a firm hook for each slot mounted on the lower back plate to engage the closed end of its slot when the plates are moved to unlocked position and to provide the hinge for such position, each hook having a necked portion extending outwardly of the edge of said lower plate and upwardly through the slot and hook portions above overlying the long margins of the slot to function in holding the plates loosely together for their sliding movements when in locked position, and a, latch means to normally prevent sliding movements tounlocked position.

FRANK STANLEY SCHADEL REFERENCES CITED Jones Dec. 19, 1876 Schade Feb. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1914 Number Number 

